SLAVE CHILDREN FREED IN GHANA

Deutsche Presse via bloomberg no url | 9/11/3

[NativeNewYorker]

Accra (dpa) - Some 100 children in Ghana sold into slavery by their parents were freed on Thursday at Yeji, 500 kilometres from Accra, after joint efforts by relief agencies, Ghana's Minister for Children's Affairs Gladya Ashmah said.

The children, between the ages of three and 16 years were freed, after the International Organisation of Migration and Ghana's Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs intervened.

They will be reunited with their parents, most of whom are from the coastal areas of the country.

``They are children who have been bought from coastal areas like Ada and Gomoa'' she said. ``They came to work at Yeji with the consent of their parents.''

She blamed poverty as the cause of the slavery and said the government has through a financing project been helping women to prevent the sale of their children. Some of the children are bought for as little as one million cedis (just a little over 100 dollars).

The children are forced to work for more than 12 hours a day in hazardous conditions. They are made to dive for long periods in the river while setting traps and checking nets.

This sometimes proves fatal and the dead are buried along the banks, without their parents being notified.

They are fed inadequate food and sleep in deplorable conditions. Some of the freed children said they were happy to regain their liberty and would want to go to school or begin learning a trade or vocation.

Ernest Taylor, International Organisation of Migration (IOM) project coordinator, said they have so far traced more than 1,200 children.

The project to free the children started about one year ago under the auspices of the government, the ILO, Catholic Relief Services and a local charity organisation, Apple.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Funny.

And here I thought *WAS TAUGHT by the politically corrupt school system!* that only us Christian, conservative US and British white men were the ones who bought and sold slaves.

Gee.

Who'd of thought child slavery would ever happen in a black, Muslim-led nation in central Africa.

Somebody ought to ping Jessie.

He'll certainly protest. Lead a boycott.

[sheik yerbouty]

Where is Al "The Graft Zeppelin" Sharpton?

[Kenton]

They will be reunited with their parents, most of whom are from the coastal areas of the country.

Boy, what kid wouldn't want to be sent back to the people who sold them into slavery. I wonder if the parents had to return the money? ;P

[Bigg Red]

They will be reunited with their parents...


**
Why? So they can sell them again? Nice parents!

[NativeNewYorker]

In the bond market, we call that a repo!

[cajungirl]

Reunited with parents? So the parents will get another sale out of the kiddies. Gee Whiz!!

[Lee Heggy]

My thoughts exactly. No mention of what measures are being taken to insure that this isn't a revolving door.

[Perseverando]

Have you seen the new National Geographic? It has a big article on slavery around the world. Article has lots of pictures. Someone already posted info the other day: 21st Century Slaves, "National Geograhpic," September, 2003

[Sundiata]

Hmmm... seems to me like someone has either forgotten or simply ignored a few simple facts on slavery. First, the institution is as old as humankind, and was not, until the 17th Century, tied or based on "race" (which genetically and truthfully, is a spruious notion in and of itself). Second, in the context of Modern Slavery, the TRANSATLANTIC slave trade was begun by the Spanish and the Portuguese... only later did the English and the American Colonists get into the business. Third, in the context of American History, the importers of slaves WERE British and American whites.

As for Jesse Jackson, don't bring up that idiot... I can't think of the man without wanting to reach out and strangle someone...


Read more, learn more, change the globe.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Some 100 children in Ghana sold into slavery by their parents were freed... they will be reunited with their parents...

Does no one besides me see a problem here?